She's So High
by darlingsybil
Summary: And if there were ever a moment in Dan Humphrey’s life where he felt like fate wasn’t against him, this would be it. Dan-centric, DS


**Title:** She's So High**  
Pairing: **Dan/Serena, Mild C/B/N**  
Disclaimer:** I am Josh Schwartz. I own everything … yeah, right. I'm also not Tal Bachman so I don't own 'She's So High'.**  
A/N:** Okay, not my best work, I'll admit that. It's more of a Dan-centric than a romance, I suppose. But the idea came from listening to the song. THANKS to Nat :) Hope you guys enjoy! Oh, and in case any one is wondering, a little 'lullaby' is coming very very soon! Stay tuned :)

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First class and fancy free  
She's high society  
She's got the best of everything

Standing in a courtyard full of teenagers, eager to show off their new uniforms, Dan Humphrey can't help but feel a tad precarious. No doubt that they all go to the same schools, it just irritates him how their clothes are crisp and new, never been worn before. He stares down at his second-hand pants and realises that his shirt is a shade paler than the other boys of St Jude's. It's never bothered him before that he came from the other side of Manhattan, but as he watches the other students talk about their new boats and mobiles and designer shoes, he wants nothing more than to go back over the bridge where the closest thing they have to Bloomingdale's is Target.

He sighs heavily, ultimately becoming best friends with the wall as everyone divides into groups, oblivious to the lonely creature. A pretty brunette sits at the top of the steps, surrounded by a cluster of girls and two boys that are in deep conversation next to her. He's heard of all of them. The princess, the prince and the dark knight. It's no surprise that they're already the talk of the school and from the looks of it, that's exactly how it's meant to be. From what he's heard from a new blog called 'Gossip Girl' – honestly, he has no idea how he stumbled upon it – the brunette and the blonde boy are a couple, but as he watches the dark-haired boy glance subtly at the girl, he can't help but think that there's more to them that meets the eye.

The bell rings and the new freshman buzz excitedly, standing up from their seats in a rush to enter the walls of their new prison for the next four years. He starts to follow them slowly, when he sees the brunette wave at him hurriedly, motioning for him to come closer. For a moment, he's startled, absolutely shell-shocked and despite every bad thought he had about them before, he takes a step closer to the group.

Out of nowhere, a force pushes past him, nearly making him fall to the ground. It all happens so fast that he when he spins around to find the perpetrator, they're already gone.

"Sorry," he hears a voice cry out and when he turns around, all he sees are blonde waves, flying in the air, running towards the posh group and it suddenly all clicks in his head.

He decides not to enter till everyone's left the courtyard.  
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But somehow I can't believe  
That anything should happen  
I know where I belong  
And nothing's gonna happen

A year passes by and no one knows his name.

When his father asks about St Jude's, Dan lies and tells him that everything's going great. After everything that his parents have sacrificed, he can't imagine burdening with the fact that his school is constitution for girls who respect losing their virginity and boys who have no problem stealing it from them.

When his sister asks about Constance Billards, he purposely directs the conversation in another direction, hoping that maybe one day she'll lose the delusion that the girls there are role models.

Vanessa's the only one to whom he tells the truth. They lie on the basketball courts near the loft and he complains about the people from his school whilst she listens on.

She wishes she had an answer to all his problems, but all she can give him is, 'you're Dan Humphrey. It doesn't matter what they think because one day you'll be great'. She hopes that it helps, but even in the darkness, she can still picture him clenching his jaw.

He tilts his head and blinks in disbelief when he thinks he sees blonde waves. There's something wrong with him, he concludes. He shakes his head and all he is finds Vanessa staring at him.  
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What could a guy like me ever really offer?  
She's perfect as she can be, why should I even bother?

It's a typical lunch.

He sits alone by the back corner of the courtyard, eating his pastrami sandwich when suddenly an Asian girl appears out of nowhere and shoves an envelope in front of his face.

"You're invited to my birthday," she says quickly and before he knows it, she's gone. He opens the envelope in curiosity and disbelief and realises that it truly is a birthday invitation. In English, he finds that she's practically invited the entire sophomore class and his moment of feeling like a _somebody_ disappears.

His first instinct is to throw the invitation in the bin and pretend that he had never seen it. After all, why would he want to spend an afternoon with the UES brats? But then, something inside him can't resist the urge to seeinsidetheir lives and before he knows it, he's outside the Farkas' residence, deciding whether or not to enter.

When he steps into Kati Farkas' townhouse, he has that feeling that he's not in Brooklyn anymore. If he thought that the parties in Brooklyn were anything to be ashamed of, they were nothing compared to the parties in UES. He stands awkwardly in the foyer as teenagers rampage the house, alcohol in their hands and high smiles on their faces. They ignore him (what else is new?) so he moves to the living room, grabbing the first unopened beer he can see. **  
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She calls to speak to me  
I freeze immediately  
'Cause what she says sounds so unreal

"Hey."

He has his drink halfway to his mouth when he spins around and finds Serena van der Woodsen standing behind him, a radiant smile glowing on her face. He lowers his drink and mumbles, "Oh, um, hey," and realises that he sounds like a complete idiot.

She giggles at his awkwardness and takes a sip of her drink (her ability to continuously drink has become legendary) and bats her eyelashes at him.

"You're the guy who always sits in the back of the courtyard, right?"

And if there were ever a moment in Dan Humphrey's life where he felt like fate wasn't against him, this would be it.

"Um, yeah," he says, breaking out into a grin. Serena van der Woodsen knew who he was. _Serena van der Woodsen _knew who he, Dan Humphrey, was. Okay, so maybe, she didn't exactly know what his name was, but at least she recognised him.  
She's opens her mouth to say more, but is cut off when Blair Waldorf pops out of nowhere, her face scrunched with frustration, on the verge of tears.

"S! Chuck spilt scotch on my dress!" Blair whines, showing the brown stain on her pale yellow dress. Serena gasps softly and offers Blair comfort, but Blair still complains and begins to pull Serena away. Serena sends Dan an apologetic smile and disappears from him …

_ 'Cause she's so high_  
_High above me, she's so lovely  
_**  
**

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End file.
